Introducing Mr. Basketball Candidate #2: A.J. Green
As part of our preseason content, we’re counting down the top dozen candidates for this year’s Mr. Basketball award, presented annually to the top senior in the state. The list continues with our No. 2 player, Cedar Falls guard A.J. Green, a nationally ranked prospect who will stay home and play at Northern Iowa, where his dad is an assistant coach.
Name: A.J. Green
Height: 6-4
Position: G
School: Cedar Falls
2016-17 stats: 472 points (21.5/game), 93 rebounds (4.2), 44 assists (2.0), 24 steals (1.1), 47.4 FG%, 43.4 3P%, 90.4 FT%
Career stats: 1,120 points (15.8/game), 238 rebounds (3.4), 174 assists (2.5), 70 steals (1.0), 48.0 FG%, 43.1 3P%, 89.9 FT%
About Green: One of the best shot makers the state has ever seen, Green is appointment viewing anytime you’re near a gym Cedar Falls (or the Iowa Barnstormers) are playing in. His ability to shoot off the dribble is top-notch, and his range is limitless. When he gets everything rolling, there are few players in the country who are capable of slowing him down. Blessed with elite ball handling and shooting abilities, he worked his way into a national ranking as a prospect and turned down dozens of Power Five options to stay home and play at Northern Iowa, where his dad, Kyle, is an assistant.
Why he can win Mr. Basketball: He’s going to be among the state’s leaders in scoring, and he’ll provide highlight after highlight as his ball handling is sure to get defenders tripping over themselves all season. The leader of a Cedar Falls team that will be among the best in 4A, he has a chance to lead the Tigers to the first state championship in the school’s history this winter. The one thing he holds over Joe Wieskamp is the fact that the Tigers have a legitimate chance at taking home a title (and they’ve already been to the tournament, led by Green). Winning helps.
Odds he wins Mr. Basketball: If forced to handicap it, we’d probably peg Green with about a 10-15% chance at taking home the crown. It’s no knock on him, or the career he’s put together, but a testament to the ridiculous career that Joe Wieskamp will finish with. It would take a major upset to knock off Wieskamp, but Green probably has the best chance of anyone to do so.